EPDP, SLA, confuse public, lottery-fraud arrested in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 January 2011, 03:31 GMT]An alleged EPDP member from Vavuniyaa faced the brunt of public anger in Jaffna as he was said to be moving in suspicious ways and was selling fake lottery tickets in Martin Road, Jaffna on Thursday. SL Police, on information from public, arrested him. He is said to have confessed his membership with the EPDP. There was no response from the side of the EPDP. Meanwhile, EPDP leader and SL minister Douglas Devananda in the SL parliament on Tuesday said that he didn’t want to embarrass the SL government internationally by raising the plight of the fear-engulfed people in Jaffna. In the meantime, the public in Jaffna senses EPDP and SLA indirectly passing blame on each other over the systematic infliction of terror by manipulative forces controlling the both.

Last month, on the instance of the killing of the Chief Priest of the Changkaanai Temple, SL military commander in Jaffna, Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe admitted the use of SLA gun, but tried to blame former LTTE cadres, who, according to him, now ‘connive and spoil’ the SLA.

Later, the Sri Lanka Government Agent in Jaffna Imelda Sugumar said that she doubted the involvement of former LTTE cadres.

Following the Changkaanai incident, the killings and abductions escalated in the North, targeting people involved in education, environment and thus creating a fear-psychosis among the public.

The current spree of inflicting terror followed the visits of Indian Foreign Minister and SL prime minister to Jaffna.

Meanwhile, traders in Jaffna complain that they were threatened by elements from Colombo with an aim of crippling the trade of Tamils.

SL authorities hid facts about the involvement of elements from the south in the robberies in Jaffna.

In certain killings and abductions, even though the involvement of paramilitary is suspected, informed circles say that paramilitary never carries out anything without permission or instruction from the military intelligence.

However, recent evidences coming from Vanni and Mannaar show that the white-van abductions, carried out by Sinhala-speaking squads, have written authority to do so from some top source.

Speaking in SL parliament Tuesday, Mr. Devananda said: “People fear whether their area will be stained with blood again.It is the general fear”.